In the Spring of 2012, parents around the U.S. found out that the USDA buys around 7 million pounds of a lean finely textured beef product--better known as 'pink slime'--for use in the national school lunch program. The pink slime beef, which gets its nickname from the unnatural color that emerges after it's bathed in ammonium hydroxide. The fact that even some fast-food restaurants reject this meat-like product alarmed many, and when subsequently given the choice, many schools opted not to serve it to their students.

In the Spring of 2012, parents around the U.S. found out that the USDA buys around 7 million pounds of a lean finely textured beef product—better known as “pink slime”—for use in the national school lunch program. The pink slime beef gets its nickname from the unnatural color that emerges after it’s bathed in ammonium hydroxide. The fact that even some fast-food restaurants reject this meat-like product alarmed many, and when subsequently given the choice, many schools opted not to serve it to their students.

As time has passed, however, budget cuts have forced school cafeterias in some states to quietly reinstate the pink slime. “As of Sept. 3, seven states put in orders to the USDA for about 2 million pounds of beef that may contain the controversial product for the meals they serve in the 2013-14 school year,” Politico reports. “At this time last year there were only three states—Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota—that had put in orders for beef that may contain lean finely textured beef.”

Although the pink slime is 3 percent cheaper than real ground beef—a discount that adds up when you’re feeding 31 million school children a day—the safety risks may outweigh the benefit. According to the New York Times, “…E. coli and salmonella pathogens have been found dozens of times in Beef Products meat, challenging claims by the company and the U.S.D.A. about the effectiveness of the treatment. Since 2005, E. coli has been found 3 times and salmonella 48 times, including back-to-back incidents in August in which two 27,000-pound batches were found to be contaminated. The meat was caught before reaching lunch-room trays.”

There are far too many questionable ingredients hidden in industrialized meat and dairy products. But credit chef Jamie Oliver for bringing one gross factor to critical mass: Pink Slime. The unfortunate-but-accurately-nicknamed controversial beef filler product—so heinous that McDonald's won't even touch it—struck a national nerve when news broke that 7 million pounds of the stuff was heading directly to school lunch programs across the country.

There are far too many questionable ingredients hidden in industrialized meat and dairy products. But credit chef Jamie Oliver for bringing one gross factor to critical mass: Pink Slime. The unfortunate-but-accurately-nicknamed controversial beef filler product—so heinous that McDonald’s won’t even touch it—struck a national nerve when news broke that 7 million pounds of the stuff was heading directly to school lunch programs across the country.

And then, a report found that 70 percent of supermarket ground beef samples showed traces of the slime, further conflating outrage and concern. The crisis has caused Beef Products, Inc, the manufacturer of pink slime to temporarily cease production in all but one of its facilities as the company looks for ways to keep producing what they call “Lean Finely Textured Beef.” But are concerns about this product really warranted? How bad could the stuff really be?

It’s true that McDonald’s and other fast-food chains have pledged not to use LFTB products in their restaurants. Typically, the remnants of meat stuck to connective tissue and carcasses find their way into pet food. But that was until BPI began using a technique that could pick a carcass clean of any lingering “meat,” mash it up, remove the fat, and then, essentially, burn all the bacteria out and sell it as filler to beef producers.

To do this, though, they use ammonium hydroxide. As in, Lysol.

Ammonium hydroxide is also known as ammonia or ammonia solution. It’s basically watered down ammonia, and in the case of BPI, the gas is added to the sludge of beef, connective tissue and other scraps of cow. While the FDA grants ammonia GRAS status (generally regarded as safe), the product is highly toxic—and can even be fatal if ingested. It’s found in literally hundreds of household products from those Lysol aerosol spray can disinfectants to hair dye, shaving cream, soap and makeup. And, it’s also routinely added to dozens of other foods from chocolates and baked goods like cakes and bread, to processed cheese, pudding and gelatin, reportedly to reduce the risk of bacterial outbreaks. But, food borne illnesses are on the rise, not decreasing. And without labeling requirements on products like meat and dairy, consumers don’t have much of a choice—or a clue—when purchasing these items for their families.

Want to avoid added ammonia in your diet? Stick with organic, especially when it comes to meat, eggs or dairy, and avoid highly processed and fast foods.

Beef Products Inc, manufacturer of the controversial ammonium hydroxide drenched beef filler by-product, nicknamed 'pink slime', has announced that at least temporarily, it is shutting down 75 percent of its production.

Beef Products Inc, manufacturer of the controversial ammonium hydroxide drenched beef filler by-product, nicknamed ‘pink slime’, has announced that at least temporarily, it is shutting down 75 percent of its production.

Based in Dakota Dunes, South Dakota, BPI’s headquarters are the only facilities that will remain open, reports the company. After suffering major financial losses arising from the criticism and public outcry over its ground beef product, operations in Texas, Kansas and Iowa will cease production for at least 60 days.

Most recently, the company suffered a serious blow when news that the USDA had planned to distribute 7 million pounds of the Lean Finely Textured Beef (as it’s called in the industry) to the nation’s schools, inciting outrage among parents, school officials and consumer health advocacy groups that led to a petition of the department to pull the product. The USDA has since announced it will make alternatives available to schools wishing to opt out of purchasing the pink slime.

Pink slime is a combination of meats left over from slaughter and often still stuck on the carcass. It can include connective tissue and other parts of the cow that typically go into pet food production. The meat scraps are a breeding ground for pathogens, requiring the ammonium hydroxide bath, which brings its own set of health risks beyond ingesting the questionable meat.

The product doesn’t even meet McDonald’s standards, but a recent survey found the unlabeled ingredient in 70 percent of ground beef samples purchased at various supermarkets.

After news spread that the USDA was planning on feeding 7 million pounds of the controversial meat product nicknamed "pink slime," the department announced that school districts participating in the government's school lunch program could refuse the ammonium hydroxide treated meat and request "filler-free" options instead.

After news spread that the USDA was planning on feeding 7 million pounds of the controversial meat product nicknamed “pink slime,” the department announced that school districts participating in the government’s school lunch program could refuse the ammonium hydroxide treated meat and request “filler-free” options instead.

In a statement recently posted on the USDA’s website, the department said that it “only purchases products for the school lunch program that are safe, nutritious and affordable – including all products containing Lean Finely Textured Beef [“pink slime”]. However, due to customer demand, the department will be adjusting procurement specifications for the next school year so schools can have additional options in procuring ground beef products. USDA will provide schools with a choice to order product either with or without Lean Finely Textured Beef.”

The 7 million pounds of pink slime incited outrage amongst school districts, parents and consumer advocacy groups—like Change.org, which began an online petition to the USDA to stop the use of the product—concerned over the safety of the meat made up of slaughterhouse leftovers including tissue and other scraps typically designated for pet food. The pink slime is so high risk for contamination with deadly bacteria including E. coli and salmonella, that it is bathed in ammonium hydroxide to render the pathogens harmless. The chemical wash used in many household products comes with its own set of health risks, and the addition of filler meat scraps with no nutritional value drops the quality of meat even further into the toxic zone.

Even after acquiescing to the concern and providing pink slime-free alternatives to the nation’s schools, the USDA insists there’s no risk in the product: “USDA continues to affirm the safety of Lean Finely Textured Beef product for all consumers and urges customers to consult science based information on the safety and quality of this product. Lean Finely Textured Beef is a meat product derived from a process which separates fatty pieces from beef trimmings to reduce the overall fat content.”

Reacting to criticism over the use of beef scraps—including tissue and other parts of cows usually designated for pet food—nicknamed 'pink slime' by plucky British chef and healthy food advocate, Jamie Oliver, beef industry producers say the attacks and name-calling are unwarranted, and moreover, the product is not a health risk.

Reacting to criticism over the use of beef scraps—including tissue and other parts of cows usually designated for pet food—nicknamed ‘pink slime’ by plucky British chef and healthy food advocate, Jamie Oliver, beef industry producers say the attacks and name-calling are unwarranted, and moreover, the product is not a health risk.

The supplier of pink slime (“boneless lean beef trimming” or BLBT as it’s known in the industry), Beef Products Inc., along with other beef industry groups and manufacturers defended the product last week at the 2012 Beef Industry Safety Summit, according to Food Safety News, stating that the health risks have been overblown, if they exist at all as there’s no evidence to support [Oliver’s] claims. And in a statement released by The American Meat Institute, food waste and sustainability are brought up as part of the reason the use of the controversial ammonium hydroxide washed scraps are beneficial to the food system: “BLBT is a sustainable product because it recovers lean meat that would otherwise be wasted. The beef industry is proud to efficiently produce as much lean meat as possible from the cattle we raise. It’s the right thing to do and it ensures that our products remain as affordable as we can make them while helping to feed America and the world.”

Health risks linked to exposure to ammonium hydroxide, the chemical wash used to treat the meat scraps highly susceptible to food-borne pathogens, account for just some of the concern over the product. Other issues stem from the questionable quality of the meat turned into BLBT, including the use of cartilage and tissue, which have little nutritional value, further degrading the meat’s value. Not helping matters is the recent ABC World News report that found as much as 70 percent of ground beef products sold in supermarkets contain pink slime. The information was reportedly delivered via a USDA whistleblower who left the agency over the issue. Even fast-food manufacturers including McDonald’s have refused to purchase the controversial BLBT meat. But the nation’s children aren’t as lucky as Big Mac eaters; the USDA’s national school lunch program reportedly purchased some 7 million pounds of the slime to serve in schools, inciting further concern over the issue and the efforts being made to improve the health of America’s children.

In a suspect move coming on the heels of major efforts to improve the quality of food fed to the nation's children, the USDA has made arrangements to purchase some 7 million pounds of the controversial "pink slime" meat for use in the national school lunch program, reports The Daily.

In a suspect move coming on the heels of major efforts to improve the quality of food fed to the nation’s children, the USDA has made arrangements to purchase some 7 million pounds of the controversial “pink slime” meat for use in the national school lunch program, reports The Daily.

The ammonia-treated meat gets its moniker from the unnaturally pink shade it embodies after the combination scraps of beef, tissue and other cow parts are bathed in ammonium hydroxide intended to kill the various types of pathogens common in the meat rejected by fast food chains including Burger King, McDonald’s and Taco Bell, often winding up in pet food instead. Meat-related illnesses, like Salmonella outbreaks, have been an issue as recently as January for Taco Bell, even without the use of the lower grade meat product.

Carl Custer, a 35-year veteran of the Food Safety Inspection Service, told The Daily that this was a problematic move because “it used connective tissues instead of muscle. It was simply not nutritionally equivalent [to ground beef]. My main objection was that it was not meat.”

Additionally, beyond the risks the questionable meat product itself poses, the ammonium hydroxide can be harmful when eaten, as it has the potential to turn into the more toxic ammonium nitrate, further compounding the confusion over the USDA’s guidelines, which call for fewer calories per meal, zero trans fats, less sodium and sugar (which led to a ban on flavored milk products), and the regulations also include the addition of more fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and beans.

]]>http://www.organicauthority.com/blog/organic/pink-slime-low-grade-meat-for-school-lunch-program/feed/0Where's the Dog Food? In Your Hamburgerhttp://www.organicauthority.com/blog/organic/wheres-the-dog-food-in-your-hamburger/
http://www.organicauthority.com/blog/organic/wheres-the-dog-food-in-your-hamburger/#commentsSun, 01 Jan 2012 08:00:01 +0000http://www.organicauthority.com/blog/?p=10678Reducing food waste is a critical responsibility not to be dismissed by any individual or industry, but concerns over ammonia-treated low-quality beef otherwise used as dog food and winding up in burger meat is sounding major alarms for food activists and concerned consumers. Credit Jamie Oliver, the host of “The Food Revolution” for speaking out […]

Reducing food waste is a critical responsibility not to be dismissed by any individual or industry, but concerns over ammonia-treated low-quality beef otherwise used as dog food and winding up in burger meat is sounding major alarms for food activists and concerned consumers.

Credit Jamie Oliver, the host of “The Food Revolution” for speaking out on the issue of what is commonly referred to in the industry as “pink slime.” It’s a combination of low-fat burger meat and an ammonium hydroxide wash applied because the meat is so loaded with pathogens including E. coli that without the wash, it would otherwise only be suitably used as an ingredient in pet food. The apparently innovative process is capable of removing the smallest scraps of beef still clinging to the carcasses of animals whose meat has already gone to pet food production.

The main provider of the pink slime meat is Beef Products Inc, who once had a 70 percent market share on hamburgers sold in the U.S.—including to school systems—but has lost a significant percentage of its business since Oliver first brought the situation to light. McDonald’s, Burger King and Taco Bell have all reportedly dropped the beef from their ingredients fearing even more backlash against the already heavily targeted fast-food industry by Oliver and other healthy food advocates.

While BPI claims that they’ve never had a food-related illness traced back to its slimed beef, the company has no plans to end the use of ammonium hydroxide, even despite slipping sales.

Adverse effects connected with ammonium hydroxide include difficulty breathing, digestive disorders, drop in blood pressure and irritation to the eyes, nose and throat.